But some things can’t stay hidden for long.

“If I didn’t know any better, Kolya Uvarov, I’d say you were propositioning me.” Her eyes twinkle again with that melancholy laughter she does so well.

“You’ve never been that lucky a day in your life,” I fire back with a smirk.

I rise and make for the door, Milana trailing close behind me. “Have you told June yet?” she asks.

“I’m going up to tell her now.”

“Good luck with that.”

“She’s not going to be difficult.”

“How do you know?”

“Because she told me. Unconsciously, perhaps, but I got the message loud and clear. She’ll be glad to have a change of scenery for a while.”

“If you say so,” she says, unconvinced. “Where do you want me?”

“Right here, monitoring the teams that are in charge of locating Adrian.”

She nods. “Aye-aye, captain. Thy will be done, or whatever the religious folks say these days.”

We split at the staircase. I leave Milana behind and head upstairs towards June’s room. I do her the courtesy of knocking first.

As soon as I do, I hear a flurry of movement on the other side. When the door does finally open, her cheeks are flushed and her hair mussed.

I arch one eyebrow.

“I’m fine,” she says in reply. “I was just, uh… Okay, I was dancing. Trying to, at least.”

“May I come in?”

She seems surprised that I’m asking, but she nods and moves aside to let me pass. The room has fallen back into a state of comforting messiness since June’s been back. Her clothes and books are scattered everywhere, and there are fresh flowers in the vases that adorn her bedside and the mantel above the fireplace. The sight of it all—of her in my space—makes something in my chest feel like it’s come unmoored.

“We’re leaving,” I tell her bluntly.

“Leaving?” she repeats. “Where?”

“Hudson Valley.”

“Oh. Uh, okay. Why?”

“I thought you might appreciate a change of scenery. You have been confined to this mansion a lot. And since you can’t go home yet…”

She narrows her eyes. “You can’t keep me here forever, Kolya.”

“Once I’ve dealt with Adrian, you’ll be free to go,” I say, though I doubt my own words even as I say them.

We’re getting to a point of no return. I can feel it approaching like a runaway train. A point past which I won’t let her go. A point past which I can’t let her go.

I set the thought aside. I don’t like acknowledging how vital she’s become to me already.

June looks disgusted. “Have the two of you ever tried just talking to each other?”

“Several times. But you can’t talk to someone who refuses to listen.”

“Then maybe you should be the one to do the listening.”

I take a step closer and glare down at her. “Listening to my brother is what brought us here in the first place. I do not repeat old mistakes.”